Kuina and Tashigi: The Troublesome Twins
by Abigail Skywalker
Summary: Kuina and Tashigi are twins that couldn't be more different. However being reunited again should be brilliant or is it? Tashigi soon finds out that being a loving sister is a lot harder than she first thought. And being an identical twin can attract all sorts of problems. Kuina's best friend Zoro starts get a bit too protective, but of which twin and why?
1. A New School

**So, Tashigi and Kuina look similar. Very similar. What if they were twin sisters? How would their relationship be. And who would their first boyfriends be. Think of this story as a post inspired 'Parent Trap' fanfiction based around Kuina and Tashigi. **

**This is my first school fan fiction. I have read a few that seemed to work so I thought I would give it a go.**

**I don't own One Piece... big surprise there... NOT**

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**Troublesome Twins:** 1\. The New School

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It took all of Tashigi's will power to try and keep up with her sister's fast pace walking without looking like she was about to start running. She started wondering again how and why she had got the weaker stick in their supposedly matching DNA.

"Come on Tash!" Tashigi's mirror image called back to her. "Keep up, or we'll be late!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" She was carrying a lot of books in her backpack and the heavy load just seemed to be getting heavier with every step she took.

Ever since their parents had got back together the twins had been inseparable. They had found out as much as they could about each other, and Tashigi was enjoying having her sister's energy and enthusiasm in her life. When Kuina had first stumble into her mother 3 months before she had scared her out of her wits when their mother had embraced her roughly from behind. Kuina not being the type of girl who liked physical interaction with anyone had found it a bit to much, and had pulled a Judo move on her and thrown her over her shoulder to the floor. And Koshiro their dad had come running at his daughters scream only to be just as shocked and surprised as Kuina had been when he saw his ex-girlfriend lying on the floor. Tashigi hadn't noticed the entire thing because she had been totally engrossed in a book she was reading, and only seemed to snap out of it when her mother tapped her on the shoulder and introduced her to her sister. Tashigi had stood up suddenly with shock, and split her drink all over the book she had been reading. And to make matters worse when she had wiped her book clean, and made her way round the table to meet this person she trip over a chair leg and fell into some waiter that had then sent all the food he had been carrying flying through the air to land perfectly on the table of some rich snobby kids who had been complaining about their food.

Kuina had taken an instant liking to her identical twin, but Tashigi had taken a little longer to persuade. She liked her space and Kuina just didn't care. Kuina was always finding new ways of getting them into trouble. Not that they really broke any rules, but her type of excitement and troublemaking was the dangerous kind, and Tashigi didn't like experiencing things that were outside of her comfort zone. However that all changed when their parents decided to get married.

So, not only was Tashigi trying to get used to loving people she had never known in her life, but she had also left everything she had recognized as home to her, and left to live with her mother, father, and sister. She was very happy with the arrangement, but she was also very exhausted most of the time. She could hardly get a break from her busy sister Kuina.

They were hurtling down the hill to their local school that Kuina had said was just round the corner. What she had forgot to mention was the fact the corner had been two miles in diameter. They made it into school just as the bell sounded for the beginning of classes.

"Yes!" Kuina exclaimed with enthusiasm running up to the gate and climbing up to the top. "I win again, and we made it just in time. Am I just talented or what?" she added scarcasticlly. She looked down at her sister. "Hey! Don't melt into the pavement will you?"

"I'm going to die..." Tashigi gasped back, gripped the outside of the gate into school as she tried to catch her breath. "Who are you … winning against? … I didn't know … we were racing?"

"Not you. I made a deal with another student who goes here. He's my sort-of-best-friend." she spread her arms up to the sky. "Whoever climbs this gate first at the beginning of the week wins!"

"Is that all?" Tashigi asked, what was the point in that. "Don't you guys wager anything?"

"Hum... Never thought about doing that?" She jumped back down landing quietly and limbly. "Good idea Tash!" She draped her arm over her sister's shoulders. "Let's go."

Just before they got inside the building a crash could be heard coming from over the tennis court barrier and before long someone had jumped over the side and ran as fast as he could toward the school gate.

"Oi!" Kuina called out to him. "Your too late I already beat you too it!"

He slowed and glanced back at the girls. "That you Kuina?" he started making his way over. "You look shorter since the summer holidays!"

"Did you get lost coming to school!" Kuina retaliated to his comment giggling.

Tashigi looked up and tried to ignore her her still thumping heart to see what (sort-of-best-friend) her sister had. What she saw made her heart sink down to her boats. He was a scowling young boy with strange green hair and a very sour expression on his face. He gave her a quick look and then did a double take, and the look of boredom became a look of shock for a few seconds, but then was replaced by his normal face as he looked back at Kuina for an explanation.

"Okay Zoro," Kuina said with a grin. "Meet my newly found twin sister." He frowned looking her over.

"And Tashigi," she waved her hand in a disinterested way back at Zoro. "This is my sort-of-best-friend Zoro."

"What do you mean sort of? I'm your only friend."

"Hahaha!" Kuina laughed. "Time for a NEW YEAR."

"I'm going to thrash you at swimming this year." Zoro stated.

"You wish." Kuina smirked and turned her back on him pulling Tashigi along after her.

Tashigi felt dismay fill her entire being. _What were these people? Didn't they ever talk about nice things? What had her sister gotten into._ She took a deep breath and sighed. She had a feeling that this secondary school wasn't going to be anything like her other school.

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**By the way I love Zoro, Tashigi, and Kuina fanfictions and there are simply not enough of them. So here I start another fanfiction. :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Making Friends

**I think Kuina would have made a really protective older sister. I'm really enjoying thinking of all the different possibilities and futures for this story.**

**I don't own One Piece... **

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**Troublesome Twins:** 2\. Finding Friends

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The twins arrived in their first classroom just before the teacher walked in, and although the class was used to seeing the independent Kuina they were all shocked to see her sister Tashigi. There was so much noise at the start of the lesson, that Miss Kanrora insisted that both the girls would come up to the front and introduce themselves properly to satisfy the classes unruly behaviour. Unfortunately, this continued to happen in all the classrooms that Tashigi and Kuina went to throughout the day. Tashigi was finding it exhausting. She had never really been one for speaking out loud much, but for some reason they all expected her to do it. After the first two classrooms of constant interrogation Tashigi was left feeling like a stuttering idiot that didn't know how to speak. After voicing her worries about what was going to happen for the rest of the day to her sister, Kuina made an interesting suggestion.

"Hey Tash! I've got a good idea."

"What?" she couldn't help but feel a little bit worried about her sister's sort of good ideas.

"Why don't you give me your glasses and I'll pretend to be you for the rest of the day, and you pretend to be me. We look identical so it will be easy."

"I don't think that this will be a good idea." Tashigi answered nervously.

"It'll be fine." Kuina swiped her glasses off Tashigi's head and put them on her own. "Now all I need to do is make you appear confident, and all you need to do is pretend to be me and no one will bother you."

Tashigi nodded at her sister's brilliant plan, but somehow this didn't make her feel any better.

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During Lunch while Tashigi was quietly eating her meal, she found that Kuina liked to challenge people to eating, gymnastic, or simply fighting competitions. And She, being Kuina, was approached by these sort of rude competitors who seemed to be trying to make fun of her and throwing out aggressive challenges. It only made matters worse when she tried to ignore them and didn't pay attention to where she was going, so she fell down the steps of her school's main hall.

"Oi! Kuina! I always thought you were a blind b****! Guess what! Pride comes before a fall!"

"You guys can stop now. I don't want any trouble." _This was her first day for crying out loud. She just wanted to be left alone to sort a few things out._

"What you want us to leave you alone?" they mocked. She went to the library and hoped they wouldn't follow her there, but they did and she tried to lose them walking through the gymnasiums, but they wove their way through those, and just before she could think about going to the girls wash-rooms to wait out the rest of her lunch break in there, they had somehow gotten infront of her and blocked off her escape forward, and when she looked back they were behind her too.

"Oi! come on Kui!" a guy about two years older than her said, approaching from behind. "Stop holding out on us! Let's settle this once and for all. Let's go guys!"

At his words, they took her outside to the end football fields, and he then crouched down into his obviously chosen fighting position.

_'How on earth am I going to talk my way out of this one.'_ Tashigi thought.

"Um, Guys. You've made a mistake. I'm not Kuina. I'm Tashigi. I'm Kuina's twin sister." she said.

"Yeah, right." the leading challenger to Kuina said with a mocking laugh. He was a slightly thick-gerthed guy with sandy blonde hair.

"You made a mockery out of us last term and we have been practicing to beat you. You're going to wish you had never made enemies out of us."

"Yeah! You tell her Bexta!" a guy with really short red hair called out. All these guys looked nasty and dangerous.

"I said I don't want to fight you." Tashigi repeated.

"And I said stop playing around!" Bexta kicked her in the stomach and she was knocked back a few paces. _This is not good. I don't know how to handle myself in a fight. I've never even got into a fight before.'_ He kicked her again and she feel into her hands and knees. The ground wasn't to hard which was good, but the speed at which she had fallen had taken her by surprise._  
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Tashigi felt really mad. _What have i done to deserve this?_ "I said that's enough!" She could hear the slight tremor in her voice.

"You don't get to decide when we're finished." Another guy came up from the other side of her and stamped down hard on her foot and pulled her upright and shoved her back towards Bexta. She let out a yell of pain when her foot bent in an awkward position and then she fell on her face. Bexta took the opportunity to sit on top of her and pushed her face further into the muddy grass.

"What's wrong with you Kuina? You become weak over the holidays?" He grabbed a hold of her hair that she had just grown long enough to have up. "You're always saying how much better you are than boys so prove it." She didn't make a move or do anything, but continued to glare at the ground. He carried on pulling her hair and moving her head back and forth. "Oh, I know, you are probably just jealous of us right? and you want to be one of us. So... How about we give you a boys hair cut!"

"Yeah!" his entourage egged him on.

"Have you guys got any scissors?"

"uh... No."

"Well check her bag. She might do." He pulled her head up higher with her hair still wrapped around his fist, while sitting on her back. "This should be good." He sniggered above her. "Shall we cut off all of it or just the top section?"

"OI! What do you think you are doing!?" A voice called out from behind them.

Tashigi caught a small glimpse of the person out of the corner of her eye. There infront of these bullies was her sister's friend Zoro. He looked really mad and scary, and for a second she thought he might have just come there to beat up all these guys just to take their money, but then he added. "Do you think you're become any better or stronger as men by picking on a girl like this?" Zoro rolled his shoulder blades in their sockets, and then proceeded to tilt his neck to the right and left, but she could hear the slight clicking sound that followed the unusual bend to both sides, (sounds painful).

"Get lost Zoro!" Bexta said. "This doesn't concern you."

"It doesn't, really?" he allowed a smirk to come into his features. "Maybe it should." Zoro then pulled out an iron pole that he had hidden somewhere in his trousers and brandish it infront of him.

_'What was he doing? He was going to get himself into trouble. __You should never have any sort of weapons in school_.' Tashigi thought, as he came toward their group.

"Do you really want to pick a fight with all of us? You might be strong, but we're not weaklings you know. You will be thrashed!"

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is!" Zoro taunted, swinging his iron pole from one hand to the other. One guy had already pulled out another weapon very similar to Zoro's and came at Zoro with it. Zoro dodged very easily and hit him in the knee causing him to scream in agony.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that hard."

"You will pay for that!" Next came two guys at once and they continued to throw Zoro punches for a little while, but they either didn't seem to hit him, or he just didn't seem to feel them because he carried on the same as ever.

Soon it was all over and the bunch of bullies were all looking a lot worse for wear.

They took one more look at the green-haired monster boy and then ran as fast as their legs could carry them towards the school grounds away from the field. "You'll regret this Zoro!" Baxta yelled back threateningly. "You will pay for this, just you wait!" Zoro just stood there looking bored of their threats and yet still menacing. Tashigi thought it probably had a lot to do with the fact he still had that massive pole in his hand.

She wasn't quite sure what she made of Zoro. He was quite a scary guy, but he had just saved her from being horribly mistreated. Tears were threatening to fall, and she shook her head. She would not cry. She would not cry.

Once they were out of sight Zoro looked back at her. "You alright?" he asked making no move to help her back to her feet.

Tashigi started to stand up, but found that the ankle one of the boys had stamped on earlier was throbbing in pain, and she didn't want to move it. '_What if she had fractured a bone or something?'_ "Um, I think I've twisted my ankle."

"Huh?" Zoro didn't seem to get it. "So, twist it back, and start walking." he bent down infront of her. "Which one is it?"

"That one." Tashigi pointed at her right foot.

Zoro then grabbed a hold of it, and moved it from left to right.

"OWWWW!" Tashigi yelled out in pain, and a few tears did roll down her checks at the agony that had just been caused. Before she knew what she was doing she had slapped Zoro across the face and then continued to yell at him. "I said it might be twisted! It could be sprained, it could even be broken, SO WHY THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO THAT!" She pulled away from him and forced herself to stand up on her own. _She could always hop back to the nurses office. It would be better than being pulled around by that hard-core guy. Who knows what he would try to do next._

"Um, I'm sorry, I didn't know that a twisted ankle hurts so much."

She paused and considered what to say next, "It's okay, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I am grateful for what you just did for me just now, you know … against those bullies, but I don't want sympathy from you or anyone." She started hobbling back to the main buildings. Zoro came up to walk slowly beside her.

"Why didn't you act this way when they were beating you up just now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Tashigi sounded confused.

"Well you don't sound like a wimp anymore. You should be confident like this more often." she frowned at Zoro's words, '_had she been sounding like a wimp?' _

"Don't judge me. You don't know me. Maybe I didn't speak up at the time because I don't like making enemies. I don't want to give people a reason to hate me."

"So what? You're just going to let people walk all over you?" His scowl came back onto his face. "That sort of attitude will get you nowhere in this world. People will always find a reason to hate you whether you want them to or not." he stepped out in front of her to stop her hobble hopping. "Listen!" she was surprised when he caught her gaze at just how intense his green eyes really were. "Look, you seem like a very kind girl, but sometimes you need to fight back don't just except something bad that happens to you as fate."

"I know. I know, but I'm not Kuina you know. So … stop expecting me to be!" Tashigi blurted out before she could think of anything better to say. She was coming the limit of her endurance now. _This had been one hellish day. just don't cry.  
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"Okay..." Zoro put his hands on her shoulders. "Oi, Tashy."

"It's Tashigi." she stopped for a moment trying to fight back the pain that was her throbbing ankle. She was crying openly now. _Did she really have to come to this place, this school, for the next three years?_

"Does you ankle still hurt?" he asked.

She nodded, and then with his back turned to her he squatted down with his hands crossed behind him. "Come on I'll give you a lift to the nurse."

"Are you sure? I'm kind-of heavy." Tashigi asked worried.

"Don't be stupid. I could carry two of you if I wanted." he looked back over his shoulder. "So come on already." he added impatiently.

"Um, thank you I guess." She straddled his back and rested her arms on his shoulders. He then got a firm grip on her legs pulling them forward, making sure he didn't touch her foot, and stood up. Tashigi had never been given a piggy back by a boy her own age before, and she felt oddly uncomfortable. It still felt weird that there were some people that were treating her as if they already knew her because she just looked like Kuina, the bullies were no exception. And Zoro too. Then the thought stuck her. '_He wasn't doing this for her, but for her sister._'

"You know you don't need to pretend to be my friend just because your my sister's. I understand if you don't really like me. I'm nothing like Kuina."

He walked a few paces in silence for a while as if considering how he would answer her. "Why would I want to know two Kuinas? Besides we're not really friends didn't you hear, We're rivals. Our entire existence in each others lives is to beat the other at something they like doing." he stopped for a few seconds and bounced me further up his back into a more comfortable position. The movement made my ankle hurt, but I ignored it trying my best to remain just a little bit representable.

"Anyway..." he carried on. "I find most people too annoying to be worth making friends with, and I tend to not make that many friends at all. And for the record I don't think you're like Kuina at all. You look like her and everything, but you have a different vibe. You're more of the nerdy type of girl."

"I'm not nerdy!"

"So tell me, are all the school books you were requested to bring into school in your bag?"

"Of course! We were supposed to bring them all in today."

"That's what I mean. You can always tell the nerdy students from everyone else because they always have huge bags that almost seemed to bury them." he chuckled at a passing memory that he wasn't up for sharing.

"Well, you brought some books in today didn't you?" Tashigi asked.

"Are you kidding? I lost all my books ages ago. I just borrow someone else's."

_'What was this guy like? How could he lose all his books? Were they stolen from him?_

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard to finish your school work after classes."

"Not really."

_'Wow, was he one of these kids that always remembered things straight after being told them.'_

"I just don't do the work."

_'Huh? Not do it? How does he pass then?_

"But why not? Doesn't that effect your overall progress? Don't you want to leave school with good qualifications? You won't be able to get into any universities if you don't have a high mark."

"I'm not all that bothered. It doesn't really matter to me."

"But, that's terrible. School work is a lot of fun if you get into it. You shouldn't have to fail." she said. Zoro had come off the school's fields by now and was heading through the now school's still noisy, and bustling grounds. Tashigi felt very conscious of the stares she was getting from a few of the students here and there and became very silent and didn't say a word until they had gotten to the nurses office. Zoro pulled her off his back and dumped her onto a chair just outside the office. Zoro walked up to the door and bashed his fist into the wooden panels with fierce purpose.

"Zoro!" came a voice from inside. "I don't have any time for one of you bleeding knees, broken fingers, or black eyes! Come back here when you actually need my help! You cause me nothing but trouble."

"It's not me this time!" Zoro yelled back insistently. "It's Tashy, you know Kuina's sister. She got hurt."

"My name is Tashigi." Tashigi added a little bit annoyed he had forgotten again.

The door opened almost instantly, and a old looking woman doctor stepped out of it. "What have you done this time Zoro, how could you hurt a girl. I don't expect much from you, but I thought you were above this!"

"It wasn't me old hag."

"How many times have I told you 'I'm not old' you delusional boy." she counter attacked, hitting him on the head with her checklist folder.

"Now what's wrong here deary?" the old woman approached Tashigi. She started to feel a little bit worried. _This nurse looked so creepy._

"She has a hurt ankle or something like that." Zoro replied for her. "She said she thought it might be twisted, or broken or something."

The old lady stood up. "Right... And I bet you haven't put any ice on it yet." she started giving off this really creepy laugh as if there was something in this situation that was funny. "Time to get the ice out again." she marched back into the first aid room leaving them waiting outside.

"She's creepy." Tashigi said, trying her hardest to ignore the feeling of terror at being left alone to be treated by her.

Zoro smirked. "She is, but she's good at what she does." He turned his back on her as if he was about to leave.

"Wait! You're not leaving already?"

"Yeah." he replied without turning around.

"I... um... thank you. For your help. I wouldn't have made it back very well without it."

He then turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Forget it, it was no big deal."

"So... am I your friend?" Tashigi asked nervously.

Zoro laughed lightly at the question, and then after a few moments of pause he answered, "Yeah sure, why not." He raised his hand and Tashigi took it. At the beginning of the day Zoro had appeared to be the most scary individual she might come across and now he was strangely the one she most trusted.

He had a good firm grip, but held her hand gently so her fingers weren't crushed. She looked from his face to his hands and smiled. "Did you know the origins of shaking hands came from a time when men used swords in battle and when they made alliances, or truces they would show an empty right palm to the other general or soldier that they meant them no harm and then they would shake on it." She looked back up at him. "It's interesting isn't it. That things get forgotten over time, but are still used everyday." she paused when she saw him chuckling to himself. "What's so funny?"

"You." Zoro said with a smile. "I've never heard of that before. Where did you find that out?"

"Well, I read books and study. It's not that hard."

"Maybe I should give it a go."

"Yeah, you should. It's fun."

He shook his head smiling and turned to go. "See ya Tashy."

"Bye Zoro and … Wait, remember my name is Tashigi!" she glared after him. _He had done that deliberately hadn't he?_

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**Hope you like it. Give me a review if you did!**


	3. Out of Depth

**Chapter 3. Wow! It has been so long since I updated. That is such a shame. **

**I hope you guys are enjoying the story.**

**I don't own One Piece.**

**By the way guys, I live in England, and in England we have pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, collages, and universities. And just to make things clear our main characters have just entered their second term (that is the spring term) of their third year at secondary school. Secondary schools take on kids from ages of 11 or 12 – 16 sometimes continuing until 17 or 18 (for the hard core workers). **

**We don't have the American mid-school / high-school thing. If kids want to go on to do extra education they go to College or Uni.**

**So Kuina and Tashigi are 14 years old, and Zoro is thirteen. I decided not to have a three year difference between them as they do in the cannon, but I did still want the twins at least one year older than Zoro.**

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**Troublesome Twins:** 3\. Out of depth

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After the first few almost hellish weeks it became quite evident, to those that knew the Tauko Twins, that Kuina was extremely protective of her identical sister.

Tashigi couldn't be less like her. She became known as the smart and intelligent one, and bizarrely enough since she had appeared in her sister's life, much to the thrill of Kuina's teachers, Kuina seemed to be paying more attention to what they might be trying to teach in class. Tashigi was the ideal student. She was a good listener, worked well with others, and would also help out with the students that seemed to hate receiving instructions from the teachers.

The twins' personalities melded together as their own individual skills seemed to perfectly support and encourage the others'. Kuina lived up to her reputation as a very strong, confident, and idealistic fourteen-year old. She made sure that no one might find an opportunity to think otherwise, and that no one would ever think to pick on her gentle sister. Tashigi, on the other hand, was a serious and when compared with her sister a very shy girl. She didn't make a big deal about competitions and always seemed to be willing to help someone who was having trouble with their work.

Their classmates had great fun comparing them to the yin and yang of life, Kuina being the dark and brooding evil being held back by her good and loving sister. And although Kuina might have laughed it off as idiotic it definitely appeared to be that way. Whenever Kuina was surrounded in trouble or needed help her sister could always smoothen things over for her. And whereas Kuina had been getting very bad marks the previous year she seemed to have miraculously improved.

Despite the fact that Zoro had already picked on, and beaten up the few bullies that had hurt Tashigi on her first day Kuina had been mad when Zoro had told her that Tashigi was in the nurse's office and had been picked on by the 'Buzzes'. She had then gone to find them all individually and give them all a piece of her mind, and since Kuina tended to think with her muscles they came out with more bruises than when Zoro had left them. Not much to the shock of the classroom teachers Kuina was called to the Principles office the following day and was suspended from school for the rest of the week, along with the boys that had to recover from their injuries. Kuina was let off a little as it became evident that Tashigi had been picked on which had caused Kuina to want to fight back.

Anyway the first week of school had been crap for Tashigi, and she spent the majority of her time hobbling around trying her best not to use her twisted ankle. It got better quicker than had first been expected, but Tashigi had missed out on a lot of the physical activities. Such as the P.E. and the indoor gymnastics that her mother had signed her up for.

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By the third week of term Tashigi was feeling a whole lot better, and now that she could walk perfectly fine she too could attend the afternoon activity.

Tashigi hadn't expected the gymnasium to be so big so she was very surprised when she arrived. The gymnasium had been designed significantly as a gymnasium and you could tell, with the extremely high ceilings and long running mats for the practice of floor work and tumbling. She couldn't help but admire the gymnasts that were in the class before her as they flipped on the trampoline and somehow spun their bodies round the bars in the corner, or how they appeared to fly across the floor mat with aid from their strong legs, arms, and hands. They looked incredible, and Tashigi couldn't help, but feel a little bit out of her depth. Okay that was an exaggeration, she felt like she had just learnt to swim and had then been told that had to swim five miles in the sea.

Being so out of it Tashigi didn't notice that Kuina had come up from behind her until she was embracing her in a big hug and then proceeded to swing her about as if she weighed nothing.

"So you finally decided to show up!"

"Stop! Stop. Stop!" Tashigi patted franticly at her sister's hands. "Please put me down. This is embarrassing."

"Okay, calm down. No need to be so uptight." She stopped and turned her sister round so she was facing her. Kuina was grinning and Tashigi could feel the enthusiasm coming off her. "Isn't this great! This is by far the best thing in the school! Aren't you glad you can come today?"

"Yeah well, they told me I had to." Tashigi sighed feeling very out of place in the gymnasium. This was not her forte. Running, leaping, good hand-to-eye coordination, strength, flexibility… it would be better for everyone if she just sat on the bench. And why did she have to wear such tight fitting clothes?

"Hey, don't look so down Tash." Kuina said patting her on the back. "You never know, you might even like gymnastics."

"I doubt it, and everyone here looks so thin." She sat down along with her sister on the nearby bench, and tried covering her thighs with her hands, waiting for the previous gym session to be over. Why was she the only one who was embarrassed to be here? Everyone else looked like they were having fun.

"Not the ones who are actually good at gymnastics. Anyway you will slim down eventually." Kuina patted her sister on the back.

"That sounds great." Tashigi said rubbing her cold hands together to try and warm them up.

"Don't even think about it." Kuina said bluntly. She rummaged around searching for something in her backpack, "Ah, here it is." and she held it out. "Have a little bit of chocolate."

"I feel so nervous I can't even think of eating."

"Hhm! Why are you nervous? There is nothing to be nervous about." Kuina sighed at her sister's worried expression. Biting the chocolate bar in half she then stuffed the other half into her sister's mouth before she could protest.

"You can thank me later." She said, and walked off making her way over to the group of people she usually hung out with in the gymnastics class.

Tashigi sighed not quite sure what she should do or who she should talk to, and wishing not for the first time that maybe if there wasn't anyone else around then she might give some of the more difficult apparatus a try. Giving a glance around the room she noticed that everyone in the next class seemed to be in their own particular groups. There seemed to be the really slim, and beautiful looking girls that appeared like they could do anything that they put their minds to, next were the girls that were doing cartwheels, and handstands in the corner as if it was as normal to them as walking. Then a group of girls and boys that looked like they didn't like anyone else apart from themselves, there was the group that her sister was in which seemed to look very athletic and care free, a group of guys that seemed for more interested in the phones they were holding and laughing at an occasional mistake made by someone in the previous class, and then a few single people sitting around like herself that just looked bored of waiting but at home in the gym.

Tashigi had heard that the gymnastics team was quite intense and hadn't wanted to join up, but her mother had told her that it would be good for her. Normally, Tashigi found it hard to make friends, but being in the gymnasium felt more alien than anything else in the school. _And why did it have to be so cold? What had been her mother's reason again? Oh, that it would be good to be in the same class as her sister_.

The buzzer sounded and the other students left, and Tashigi put her glasses away in her bag. Like sea of muttering zombies the next group of thirteen and fourteen year olds got up and made their way down the stands to the mat in the middle of the gymnasium.

"All right!" the instructor, Miss. Yasmine Swan, spoke up looking over her new class with forced enthusiasm. "Are we all ready to get started?" There were a few grunts of acknowledgements as most of the students pretended that they didn't want to be there, but were in fact looking forward to it. Yasmine did the register and then started with the warm up.

The warm up lasted a good ten minutes and by the time it had finished Tashigi was definitely feeling warmed up.

Out of the corner of Tashigi's eye she saw Zoro walk in through the gymnasium doors followed closely behind by his friends, Johnny and Yosaku. _Or were they his servants?_ One might make a guess that he wasn't all that interested in entertaining his friends as they always seemed to support and do everything for him whether he asked for their help or not.

"What time do you call this?" Yasmine asked the late-comers as they dumped their stuff down by the stands.

"It wasn't our fault! We were detained by Mr. Bones." Johnny grumbled.

"We love your class, Miss. Swan." Yosaku added. "You're my favourite teacher!" He rushed down to the floor-mat and bowed very graciously before her.

"Okay that's enough." Miss. Swan said faking irritation, she turned aside to pick up the register again and ticked off their names. "I want all three of you to do a five minute warm up on this side of the mat and then come and join the rest of your group." Turned back to the rest. "Okay guys into the next room!"

The next room hadn't been something that Tashigi had noticed before, it had blocks of plastic-like material-covered foam piled up on one other in the corner, there were long beams that seemed to be set to different heights, a pair of suspended rings in the other corner, and another floor mat that seemed to have multiple chalk markings on.

"Alright everyone time to split up into groups." She barked out a few other orders, and everyone seemed to instantly move off to do what she had instructed. When they had all left she then turned to speak to Tashigi. "Since you couldn't start with us on your first week I'm going to take you through some of the basic routines myself and from there we can access what level you need to start off in."

Tashigi felt a wave of relief come over her.

"Have you ever done gymnastics before, Tashigi?"

"No."

"Alright, well let's get started."

The next half an hour Tashigi received basic training and although she couldn't see very well and felt absolutely rubbish at whatever she did or tried to do, Miss. Yasmine Swan always seemed to have something positive to say to help her improve.

Miss. Swan eventually got her to join in with what Tashigi could easily tell was the not so good group, as they focused on achieving unusual balances and stretches on the beams. Tashigi was surprised by how hard it actually was despite it looking so simple, and she fell off quite a few times. Once that exercise was over they went back into the other room to apparently use the trampoline, which again proved to be a lot more dangerous than Tashigi had first given it credit for.

The Trampoline not only had holes in it (it was a woven mat), but was also extremely elasticated making Tashigi feel like she could go flying off in any direction at any moment. But between the breaks for the tramlining Tashigi could watch the far better group doing flips over the horseboxes and seeing how brilliantly they could perform their floor routines. And she got to witness just how good both her sister and Zoro where at this sport.

They were both flipping amazing.

.

.

Once the last session had ended Tashigi decided to stay back and wait for her sister that had been taken to the reception by Miss. Swan along with a few of the other girls that Tashigi assumed could only be to talk about a few upcoming competitions.

She was left in the main gym waiting with a few people until gradually the numbers swilled down, eventually it was just her and Zoro left. Tashigi hadn't really spoken to Zoro since the first week and wasn't at all sure how she should approach him or even start a conversation with him. He was alone now. It would be the best time to talk to him.

"So, um… Zoro?" Tashigi stumbled out her words.

"Uhhuh?" Zoro mumbled with his eyes closed.

"You looked really cool today."

_Really cool? What am I saying? That sounds so stupid._

"You think?" he lifted up an eyelid to look at her.

"How do you flip on the trampoline? You make it look so easy."

"Just practice I guess and making sure all your leg and core muscles are tight."

"Is that it?"

"Well," he sat up. "It's just a lot of small things that you forget you're even doing when you practice a lot." He looked straight at her. "It's your first day in here isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I'm really rubbish." Tashigi felt embarrassed and started twirling the ends of her hair around her finger.

"Well that shouldn't come as much of a surprise everyone starts out that way."

"I can't imagine anyone being as bad as me."

Zoro scowled and stood up. "Okay, get up." He said, pulling Tashigi back over to the trampoline.

"Wait, what?.. why?.. What are you doing?" she said as he climbed up onto the trampoline. "We're not supposed to on here when Miss. Swan isn't in here."

"So what, who's gon'na know?"

She allowed him to pull her up onto the much bigger trampoline and then sat down on the edge as she watched him show her some apparently easier moves. Eventually he stopped and encouraged her to join in.

"Why don't you sit in the middle of the tramp in 'this position.'" He said and sat down and demonstrated it for her. "And the game is you can't break out of that position until I stop bouncing."

"Is it safe?"

"It's fun. You'll like it."

She did as he asked and although at first terrifying she didn't mind after a while as Zoro seemed to know what he was talking about and would stop bouncing if he saw she was looking worried.

"I just can't believe you've never been on a trampoline before." Zoro said as they got back off it and walked back to the main entrance. "I thought my dad was bad, but you have had a deprived childhood."

"I just chose to do different things." Tashigi said, still feeling a bit shaken up and muscle sour from all the exercise she had done in one hour.

"But you like it right?" Zoro said turning away from her to run at the second pair of rings that were suspended in the main hall. He grabbed ahold of them and rotated slowly on the spot as the rings swung back and forth. He turned himself upside down so he could look back at her. It's alright if you want something more exciting to do."

"ZORO!" Suddenly there was a thunderous noise that sounded down the corridors and them shot itself into the room.

"Shi…" Zoro didn't finish what he was about to say or get off in time before he was bombarded with what Tashigi thought looked like a human cannonball.

"I missed you Zoro!" A boy with dark black hair hugged the other as they hung upside down for a few seconds before Zoro let go of the hoops and felt flat on the mat.

Zoro wrapped his arms around his soon to be very bruised head and yelled. "What the hell are you doing here Luffy?! I thought you had gone back to live with your dad."

The boy called Luffy sat up and scratched his head apparently unaffected by the landing. "Well he said he wanted me over for the holidays and that I could be taught doing home-school-stuff,… but Gramps said he didn't want me to be taught crap so he brought me back here." He then noticed Tashigi. "Hi Kui!" He stood up and embraced her too swinging her around before putting her back on the ground. "I missed you too."

"That's not Kuina."

"Huh?" Luffy frowned back at Zoro as if he had lost his brains.

"My name is Tashigi, I'm Kuina's twin sister." Tashigi said holding out her hand to the strange young boy.

"Wow!" Luffy gripped her hand and shook it firmly. "That's so cool! You're like the exact same as her. No wonder Zoro likes you." He grinned back at Zoro not noticing the glare of daggers he was receiving back. "I wish I had a twin." He continued talking to Tashigi. "That would be so cool. Is it fun!"

"Um, well it's different." Tashigi wasn't quite sure how she should respond.

"Do you like pretend to be her sometimes and then not get punished for things?" Luffy grinned as if he had just thought up the most ingenious and original idea ever, and Tashigi started to wonder if he was all there.

"Oi!" Kuina's voice could be heard coming from the doorway. "What are you two goof-balls doing now? Just leave them be Tash, their idiots."

At that Luffy decided to drape his arm over Tashigi's shoulders. "Yeah! Well, Tash is my new best friend. So who's the idiot now!"

"I thought you had moved away." Kuina said as she closed in on the group and pulled Tashigi away from Luffy. "You were supposed to move out of the country right?"

"Yeah, but Grandad brought me back." Luffy nodded. "More important though. Why do you have a twin? Where did you find her?"

"I found her with my mother."

"I didn't know you had a mother."

"Yeah well now I do and both mum and dad are married." Kuina said.

"Cool. Wait, that means living together right?"

"Right."

"Just leave the girls be Luffy can't you tell they just want to leave." Zoro interrupted them.

"NO!" He moved to the other side of Tashigi. "Tashy and me are friends. Right?" He grinned at Tashigi.

"I don't even know you yet, though." Tashigi wasn't quite sure how to respond to this. He was just being so weird.

"What makes you guys think Tash will want to be friends with you anyway. She is way to smart for you guys."

"What did Yasmine want to talk to you about Kuina?" Zoro said starting a new conversation.

"It was something about a national competition." She sighed. "Do you think you will be able to afford to go this time Zoro?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Dad would never pay for me to go."

"That's a shame." Tashigi added. "I bet you too would be really good."

"I would be awesome!" Luffy announced.

Tashigi laughed. They were all quite an interesting bunch. She didn't quite get their humour from time to time, but they seemed decent enough. But that wasn't all that surprising.

Something that was surprising to her was how she noticed Zoro come up alongside Kuina to walk with her, how he nodded and agreed with what she was saying, and how he grinned so easily when Kuina jabbed him in the ribs.

_Did Zoro actually like Kuina?_ Tashigi smiled to herself and thought that maybe just maybe that it might be a very good thing for her tom boy sister. He was a perfect match for her, and she was a good match for him.

.

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**Well, I hope you guys like it. I might rewrite it some time, it doesn't feel as good and complete as it should do, but overall I think it turned out okay. **

**I don't ever remember reading many One Piece fanfiction stories about sports or activities that are generally considered normal, and for me Gymnastics was the norm not Kendo. So I decided to make one of their sporting activities Gymnastics. So, please refrain from dissing it just because it isn't in the cannon, or because it isn't considered normal like all the other AU stories seem to be. I am trying to come up with something more original for my story.**

**If you have any suggestions that you might like to see happen please leave me a review. **

**I hope you enjoyed the story. :D**

**Abi Skywalker. **


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